Shadow Over The Sun
by SugarLandBabyGirl
Summary: She was a childhood friend of the Schubaltz brothers, but when she is suddenly taken from the brother's lives without warning, twelve years pass and Karl and Levana meet again, but both of them have changed and both are on different sides of the War.
1. Prologue: Before It All Began

**A/N:** This is an edited re-post of the prologue, since I happened to look over it again and realized that a few things on the old one need to be fixed. Nothing too major was done, but a re-read probably wouldn't hurt. I think this version is much, much better than the old one and I hope ya'll think so too. :D

Take care,

~ SugarLandBabyGirl

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**Prologue:**

_**Before It All Began**_

It was a serene mid-day afternoon in the middle of spring on the planet Zi. The abundant blossoms were in full bloom, perfuming the air with the scent of lavender and wild roses. Golden rays were brilliantly shining, casting variant hues of saffron light down upon a vast flowing green meadow. The dark emerald grassland swayed to and fro as a gentle spring breeze flowed though out the field, carrying the pleasant sound of joyous laughter, which came from two young children that were playing in the field, seemingly lost in their own carefree world.

One was a boy, who looked no older than seven, with his hauntingly bright bottle green eyes and slightly spiky blond hair. His bangs swayed across his forehead as he chased after his playmate, a young girl. The girl was only a year younger in age than her friend, but her body size made others think that she was a lot younger, for she had been born three months premature and no one thought that she would survive for more than a few day or a week at the most, but she had proved everyone wrong and surprised them a great deal with her natural born instinct to fight, to survive.

The sun danced across the flowing flaxen hair of the young girl as she ran from her pursuer, squealing in both shock and happiness when the older boy quickly caught up to her and scooped her petite body up in his arms and spun her around, laughing at the while. The young girls' bright baby blue eyes sparkling in pure childlike glee, as she was carefully spun around in her best friends arms. The young boy might have been a little rough and clumsy sometimes, as most boys are, but where the young girl was concerned he had always made sure to be extra careful. Although he had, had a few accidents before, he was always careful not to let those mishaps repeat themselves a second time.

"Let me down! I'm getting dizzy Tommy!" The young girl giggled when she started seeing six of her best friend's smiling goofily at her, as the world around them became nothing but a blur of vivid colors. "A-alright," The boy said in a breathless voice, but his bright smile didn't falter for even a second as he tried to slow down his spinning, only to stumble over his-own feet as a look of surprise crossed his face and a slight cry escaped from his lips when he hit the soft grass covered earth. The cry was more from the shock of the impact than pain, but the little girl was scared her friend had hurt himself and though she was still dizzy, she was worried that he had hurt himself. "Tommy are you alright? Are you hurt?" She asked in a worried tone, as her bright baby blue eyes dimmed.

The boy was breathing heavily, with his eyes closed tightly. He heard his best friend's worried voice calling out to him so he slowly opened his eyes. With a soft groan he answered, "No, I'm not hurt, just tired. Are you alright Lev? Did I hurt you?" Tommy asked, as he forced his body up off of the ground and into a sitting position. Only to notice that even in falling, he still kept her held tightly and protectively in his arms. She appeared to be all right as she smiled softly at him. "Yes, I'm alright Tommy. But are you sure you are alright?" The little girl asked again, as she removed herself off her best friend so he could breathe better, though she did not weight maybe half of what a usual six-year-old might.

"Yeah, I've never been better!" Tommy smiled reassuringly at his best friend, who was more like a baby sister to him than anything, so it was no surprise when he was protective of her and no one doubted that he would die for her, even at his young age. "Thomas, mother wants you home, now." A voice called out, as a seemingly older version of Thomas stepped into the meadow; Thomas' older brother, Karl. The two brothers could have almost been identical twins, except for several main personality differences. Such as where Thomas was always smiling, laughing and having fun, Karl was stern, calm and usually in his room studying ninety-five percent of the time. He was incredibly studious for an eleven year old.

From Thomas' point of view, his older brother was 'the-better-brother' as he was very smart, mature and always brought home the best grades, while Thomas never brought home any grades better than a C in most of his classes. In the instances where Thomas would become afraid, Karl never seemed to even bat an eyelash. In all truth, Thomas knew he was nothing compared to his brother, even though he tried to be better, but in all of his efforts, he could never compare to Karl, no matter how hard he tried. He considered himself nothing more than a microscopic shadow behind his elder brother.

"We're coming." Thomas muttered begrudgingly but loud enough for Karl to hear. He knew that he was probably in trouble again, which that meant that he would be grounded once again and then he wouldn't be able to see Levana for awhile. She was his only true friend. She was the only one who didn't think that he was a lesser to his brother. She liked him with his faults and she had even thought that his knowledge of computers and mechanics was the most amazing thing she had ever seen and though at first he was a little unsure of telling or showing her what he had been working on, he didn't regret it at all.

She didn't laugh or make fun of him, even when he told her of his life's ambition of making an A.I. and Artificial Intelligence organoid. Instead she had supported his idea wholly and she had even told him that one day he would actually accomplish his dream. He was so thankful to have her as his friend and he hoped that she knew just how much everything she did and said meant to him. "Thomas, I won't call you again!" At the sound of Karl's voice, Thomas flinched and slowly stood up; his cheerful mood shot down in a flash.

Levana had seen the reaction that Thomas had when he first heard his elder brothers' call and it hurt her to see such sad emotions flash in his eyes and the sad frown that he always wore when his brother was sent after him, or even when he talked about his brother. She knew all about Thomas' feelings towards Karl and she had even tried to convince Thomas that Karl cared from him, but it had fell on deaf ears, so she had stopped, but that didn't mean that she didn't try to get to know Karl better and see for herself if he was as bad as Thomas had said and though she hadn't made much progress, she did know that despite Karl's usual impassive attitude he was really a nice guy. After all, he hadn't been angry at her when she had accidentally made his Black Lily plant fall out of its pot nearly killing it. Instead he had helped her clean it up and he had even given her one of his smaller plants when she told him why she had been in his room.

She still had the Black Lily plant at her house and just as she had promised, she was taking great care of the beautiful and rare flower. She never forgot to take care of no matter how many other things she had to do. The Black Lily was one of the most favored gifts she had ever received and she would protect it, as if it was a priceless jewel, and to her it was just if not more priceless than any stone would ever be. Because it showed her that Karl did care for people and it proved that he was a compassionate person underneath it all, even if he never showed it. One day she hoped that Tommy would see what she saw and the brothers would get along better.

Thomas decided that if he kept on disobeying his brother then he would be in more trouble. Levana jumped up from her sitting position and grabbed the crestfallen boy's hand with a bright smile and then began to run towards Karl, dragging a bemused Thomas behind her, while calling out to Karl and waving happily. "We're coming!" When the troublesome duo reached the always cool and collected Karl, Thomas' mood was still quiet and he refused to look at his brother, who he knew by instinct was probably sending him a frown of pure disappointment and dislike, as he always did. _'Why? Why can I never be good enough in your eyes? Every time I try, I always fail miserably. I'll never be good enough to be like you…'_

"I'm sorry Karl, I fell down and Thomas was just making sure I was alright. That's why we're late and I'm sorry." Levana told Karl with a small guilty smile, hoping that Karl wouldn't be mad at Thomas because of her. Karl just watched the two with a cool gaze, knowing full well that Levana was trying to keep his pestering younger brother out of trouble, as she usually did when Thomas didn't immediately obey. Karl thought that Thomas should stop letting Levana take the blame for his mistakes, although he knew full well that the young girl did it without Thomas' consent or knowledge most of the time, but still she shouldn't and Thomas shouldn't let her.

"Very well, are you hurt or bleeding?" Karl asked his voice still remaining cool, like always, but Levana saw a slight glimpse of concern flash in his eyes when he saw that indeed, she was bleeding. It was a small cut upon her knee, but it was still a wound and until Karl had bent down and examined it, she hadn't even known that she had it. "Oh, I didn't even know that it was there." Levana spoke her thoughts aloud as Karl stood back up and started to speak, but Thomas beat him to it. "You're hurt? Is it bad? Can you walk back to our house?" Thomas asked frantically, like he always did when Levana was hurt, even if it was something as small as a scratch. "I'm okay Tommy, don't worry it's nothing. I mean it isn't even bleeding anymore." Levana smiled reassuringly making Thomas calm down by squeezing his hand in hers.

"O-okay, as long as you're sure." Thomas whispered as a ruby red blush consumed his pale cheeks; it was a blush of pure embarrassment as he had just made a complete fool out of himself in front of Karl, who had, as always kept his cool demeanor and worst of all he had made an idiot of himself in front of his best friend. He knew that Levana would understand him, but he hated looking like an idiot in front of Levana with Karl around, it hurt his male pride, but it also, in his mind caused him to look weak in front of his best friend and brother. "Come, the both of you. I will take you home after your injury is bandaged Levana." Karl spoke up, ending his younger brothers' thoughts and making Levana smile and thank him politely, before she pulled Thomas along behind her as they followed the older Schubaltz brother towards their home.

When the adolescent trio finally reached the Schubaltz home, they were greeted by a tall, slender woman with nearly the exact features of her two sons. The only difference was that she had lighter blonde hair than her sons and darker green eyes and like her oldest son, she did not have any facial markings, while Thomas had a similar red mark upon his face just has their father once had, only instead of having it under his left eye, their father had the exactly same mark on his right cheek.

"Thomas Richard Schubaltz! Would you mind explaining to me why you have such low grades on this report card young man?" Mrs. Schubaltz asked in a controlled tone, when Thomas entered the kitchen, where his mother was waiting. Levana watched sadly as Mrs. Schubaltz scolded her youngest son, although their mother was never mean to her children she was strict when it came to their school grades and least to say Thomas was not bringing in any good grades lately. The most 'cruel' thing that their mother would do is ground Thomas from seeing Levana for three days or so. Yet even that seemed like a lifetime to Thomas and Levana alike, but it was only because they didn't have any other friends besides each other.

Karl, taking the initiative to remove Levana from watching his younger brother get scolded again, decided that now was as good a time as any to bandage and disinfect her cut. He gently took her small and fragile-like hand into his own and led her away from the kitchen. Even though it was small, Karl knew that it could become a dangerous wound that could kill her easily. Karl knew that Levana was born premature and that her immune system was still fragile. Even at her age, she was still in danger of dying from even the smallest things, such as a small cut that was not properly disinfected.

"Will Tommy be grounded again?" Levana asked Karl sadly, knowing that she would be by herself again until he was ungrounded. "Probably," Karl told the young girl delicately but truthfully, as he lead her into his bedroom and then into his bathroom, where he dropped her hand only to gently pick her up and set her on his black marble counter, much to the little girls surprise. Karl then went digging through his medicine cabinet looking for the proper supplies to doctor an injury. When he found everything that he needed, he returned to Levana's side and opened the antiseptic bottle and poured the foul smelling liquid onto a cotton pad, before speaking in a calm tone. "This will sting some Levana."

"O-okay," Levana trembled at the elder boy's words. She knew that Karl never lied to her and he had doctored an injury of hers before, but then she had been fortunate enough for the injury to not need to be disinfected, unlike now. Karl watched with cool arctic green eyes, as despite her fear, Levana didn't close her eyes in panic, instead she kept her frightened bright baby blue eyes on Karl's face the whole time, even as he pressed the antiseptic covered cotton pad to her open, but dried cut. Tears leaked from her eyes and she lightly bit her bottom lip, but she didn't flinch or cry out when the antiseptic bubbled, disinfecting her cut thoroughly.

Karl watched her reactions closely with a cool gaze through thick dusty lashes, but there was softness there also, something that hardly anyone ever saw, except occasionally his mother and Levana. Even Thomas never saw a glimpse of this softer side of his older brother. Levana sniffed a couple of times before she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand as Karl placed a bandage on her knee. When he was finished he picked up his medical supplies and placed them back in his cabinet, before turning back to Levana.

She still had a few tears falling from her eyes and when she went to wipe the remaining salty drops away a soft thumb beat her to it. Karl gently brushed her tears away, before turning on his faucet and running cool water on a washcloth. He wrung it out and then lightly began to run the cool cloth over her blotchy face, successfully washing away the smudges of dirt and grass stains that had collected themselves on the young girls face while she was out playing with his younger brother.

"Thank you, Karl." Levana sniffed with a bright smile, before she unexpectedly reached out and hugged the older boy around the neck. The older boys' eyes widened in surprise for a minute before he hesitantly returned the hug while whispering a quiet, "You're welcome." While Levana was hugging him, Karl gently lifted the little girl off his counter top with a single arm, walked over to his hamper and dropped the wet and dirty cloth into it before he moved Levana into a more comfortable position and held onto her with both arms. When Karl and Levana entered the living room Mrs. Schubaltz smiled when she saw her eldest son showing a side of him that she even had trouble finding. He was so much like his father. It was sad that neither of her sons could really remember their father, who had died from an incurable illness six months after Thomas was born.

"Thomas has been sent to bathe before going to bed. Will you please take Levana home Karl?" Mrs. Schubaltz asked her son with a soft motherly smile when she saw the little blonde haired girl yawn widely before her eyes started to close from exhaustion. "Yes ma'am." Karl nodded, speaking quietly before he walked over to the front door, where his mother opened it and told the little girl goodbye. To which, the tired girl smiled and muttered a sleepy goodbye in return. It did not take very long to reach Levana's home; maybe five minutes at the most but Levana had already fallen asleep, her head nestled comfortably in Karl's neck. The home in which Levana was being raised was smaller than the Schubaltz home, but not by much.

Levana's mother was friends with his mother and his father had also been friends with Levana's, but Levana's father had went into the military before she was born and was killed three months before Levana was to be born, ultimately making her mother so upset that she gave birth three months early. Levana's mother had never been the same since. She did love Levana and took very good care of her, but sometimes when Mrs. Henley, Levana's mother, was over at his house he overheard his and Levana's mothers talking and some of the things that came from Levana's mother's mouth made him worried about Levana's safety. It must have alarmed his mother as well, because he had heard her offer to take Levana in a couple of times, but Levana's mother refused every time.

Knocking on the Henley's door, Karl waited patiently a few moments before the door slowly creaked open and a sickly slender woman of with dull obsidian hair and dreary baby blue eyes appeared. She smiled slightly at Karl and quietly thanked him, as she pulled her daughter into her arms. She offered Karl something to drink for his help, but he politely refused saying that he was needed at back home. Just as Karl turned to leave a soft voice whispered "bye-bye" and when Karl turned back around he saw Levana sending him a cute but lopsided sleepy smile. Her bright baby blue eyes were just barely visible as her eyes were only slightly cracked open, hinting at sleep. Karl just raised his hand in silent recognition before turning back around and heading home.

Had he known that moment would be the last time he would see her in over a decade, he would have done something, anything to keep her where she rightly belonged. Not just for his little brother or his mother, who loved the little girl as much as she loved her own children, but also for himself. He would miss the bright little burst of sunshine as much as his little brother, though his sadness wouldn't be as easy to perceive as Thomas'. Her absence from their lives cast a dark shadow over the sun.


	2. Chapter One: Twelve Years

Chapter One:

Twelve Years…

Serene days, were becoming harder and harder to find, so on those rare days of tranquility and rest all of the soldiers basked in the sweet harmony, taking it in for all of its worth. All of them knew that the ceasefire between the Republic and the Empire could be blown to smithereens within seconds, at any moment. They had all been on constant high alert for so long that they were in desperate need for a release. Be it either with relaxation or war.

"Days like this bring back a lot of good memories. Wouldn't you say?" Captain Rob Hermann asked his two companions with a smile, as the three companions watch the goings on of the Helic Republic soldiers below them. The day was seemingly just like all the rest but for some unknown reason for the three companions this particular day just brought back memories, of the good old days, as it were.

The three companions were standing upon an old dark grey balcony, just enjoying the peacefulness of the day.

"Yes sir. That it does, it reminds me of my home with my family on a peaceful Sunday evening." The young lieutenant O'Connell answered with a smile and a distant look in his aqua eyes as the warm breeze gently brushed his teal bangs across his forehead and temples successfully making the young lieutenant look even younger and more handsome than he already was.

"What about you, Levana?" The blonde Captain asked when he didn't hear anything from his female companion other than her soft even breathing.

When he turned to the right to look at the young woman, the Captain saw her shoulder length flaxen blonde tresses whipping gently in the soft breeze behind her. Her face held a serene look, as she gazed into the horizon, her bright baby blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, but the blonde Captain knew just by looking at her eyes that she was only standing beside him in body, as her mind was lost in memories.

The Captain just smiled knowingly and shook his head before placing a gentle hand on the young nurse's shoulder. Making her rouse from her childhood memories, blinking slowly a couple of times before she turned to look up into tall Captain's smiling features that always reflected a distinctive light in eyes.

A small blush rose to her pale cheeks when she realized that the handsome Captain had probably asked her something and she had been oblivious to the whole thing.

"I'm sorry Captain Herman; I didn't mean to be so rude." Levana muttered bashfully, the rose red blush seemed to enhance in its brightness upon her pale cheeks.

The Captain just let a jovial laugh and smiled in an understanding way before speaking, "Don't worry about it Levana. I'm sure you wouldn't tune me out on purpose."

With that said, the blonde Captain winked at the shy and embarrassed young woman, successfully making her blush deepen to an even darker shade of red. Which the Captain had to admit was an attractive feature on the girl, but he only though of her as a younger sister now and even Lieutenant O'Connell and her had small disagreements like siblings.

The arguments were usually over something trivial and they were always settled within an hour; Levana and the Lieutenant's little childish spats always made the Captain laugh so they were never anything serious. Although when it came to injuries of any kind, arguing against the young nurse was just unthinkable.

"No sir. I was just remembering my childhood, before I had to move away with my grandmother." Levana answered with a quiet tone; it may have been more than a decade ago when she was forced to leave her best friends and old home behind, but she could still clearly remembered the day that lead to it all; The day that she lost not only her mother and her two best friends, but also a part of her childhood innocence.

Both the Captain and the Lieutenant knew why Levana was placed in the care of her grandmother, but they had never dug too deep into the details of the reason behind it all. The main reason was because they didn't want to remind Levana of what happened and bring up bad memories, which were better left alone. So whenever that distant, gloomy look came to the young woman's visage they had taken it upon themselves to do anything to take her mind off of those past events and bring back the sunny smile that almost always adorned the young nurse's visage.

'_Has it really been that long ago? A week from now will be the twelfth year anniversary of my departure from my old home and… my mother's death.' _Levana silently mused to herself, as she watched a lone Blue Jay light on a small branch not far from where she was standing. The beautiful plumage of the cerulean bird shined in the sunlight, as it stretched its wings, before it started chirping sadly, as if calling for its mate.

"Captain Herman, when are we to leave for the Red River Base?" Lieutenant O'Connell asked is Captain after a couple minutes of silence.

"Oh yeah," The blonde haired Captain chuckled, "I forgot to tell the two of you why I called you both here in the first place, sorry about that. Anyway back to business, in two days time we will depart from this base and set up our forces at the Red River Base. There have been reports of Imperial sightings there and although our forces are small compared to theirs, we must not let them get into our Capitol." The young captains voice had went from cheery to somber in an instant.

"Captain, we should begin making the proper preparations immediately. Should I tell the men?" Lieutenant O'Connell asked his voice immediately copying that of his superior. He may have been young, but he was in no way immature, until it came to being doctored on. That was one of his weaknesses, the young Lieutenant hated Doctors and being around them.

That was actually how he and Levana had first met. The young Lieutenant was accidentally injured in a weapons test and when the Doctors had tried to help him, he had blatantly refused all of their help. But the Doctors were just as stubborn as he and refused to leave him alone until they had patched him up, as it was their job to keep their soldiers alive and healthy.

But no matter how hard they tried, the Doctors couldn't restrain the obstinate Lieutenant, until a seemingly harmless young nurse entered the room. She had just arrived only two days before and no one had seen much of her, as she was always quiet and working. But what none of the occupants knew was that despite being petite and polite, she packed a punch and with only four words, she had managed to do what three Doctors had not.

That was also the day that she had met Captain Herman, when he came to check on his young subordinate who, he had been told was causing a ruckus in the infirmary. But just as he had entered the room, so did Levana and he had witnessed just how strong and stubborn the young girl could be. She didn't yell or loose the charming smile that adorned her pastel pink lips, but the underlining tone of her soft voice and the slight darkening of her soft baby blue eyes, was warning enough for the young Lieutenant to stop while he was ahead and just let the young nurse bandage his wounds without any more protests.

The three of them had instantly become friends, after the first joke that the blonde Captain had made, at the young Lieutenant's expense, of course.

"Yes, go ahead and tell the men to start making the needed preparations, Lieutenant O'Connell." With a proper salute the young teal haired man left the balcony to tend to his duties, leaving his Captain and his best friend alone, to no doubt discuss what preparations that the Medic's should start making.

"What preparations should the Medical Squad begin to make, Captain?" Levana asked, immediately going into a similar "soldier" state as Lieutenant O'Connell had previously. She may have only been a nurse to many, but even nurses are soldiers when they are put on the front lines of battle. And despite many peoples opinions, nurses and Doctors are some of the most helpful and needed soldiers in war.

"Alright, I want you to tell the Medic's that they need to start packing the supplies into the Zoids and to only leave enough equipment available incase of an emergency, before we leave." Captain Rob Herman instructed the young nurse, so that when they were to leave their current post, nothing unexpected would happen, because of flawed orders.

"Yes sir, I'll tell them immediately." Levana respectively saluted her superior, before she took her leave. Many things had to be done, before they could depart from their current base and Levana knew what her duties were, so now things would proceed quickly, but slow enough to make sure that nothing went wrong. In times of war, one small thing could tip the delicate scale one way or another and the Republic did not want to mistakenly tip the scale to the Empire's favor.


	3. Chapter Two: The Journey and the Arrival

Chapter Two:

The Journey and the Arrival

"You know sometimes I think you'd be better off piloting a Zoid, rather than studying to become a Doctor Levana." The familiar voice of Lieutenant O'Connell spoke with a slight teasing tone, although what he was stating was more of a fact.

"Yes, but my passion and my skills revolve heavily around being a healer, rather than a fighter, Lieutenant O'Connell." Levana answered with a kind smile, as she conversed with the teal haired Lieutenant over the screen link that was in her temporary, borrowed Zoid.

The Zoid was a white and grey Command Wolf; it was an older model Zoid and it hadn't been used much by the Republican Army as it was lacking strength in many area's and no one wanted to waist a lot of time and money to update the older, useless Zoid. Levana had used the Command Wolf several times before and upon her request the older Zoid hadn't been discarded as an old piece of useless scrap metal.

Captain Rob Hermann had raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the odd request, at first but he granted it nonetheless and now Levana used the so called "_hunk-of-junk_" when the small group of soldiers moved from one base to another and when she was needed quickly after a battle. In turn for saving his "_life_" the older Zoid had, seemingly taken on a life of his own and when Levana was in trouble, with her lack in battle skills, the Zoid would convey the skills of an expertly trained and well seasoned fighter Zoid, much to everyone's greatest surprise.

"But you have to admit, even just a little that you like piloting that walking scrap heap." The Lieutenant laughed with a small smile, when the aged Zoid looked over in his direction and growled in a deep warning tone. The Zoid had obviously taken an offence at being called a "_walking scrap heap_".

"You know O'Connell, if you keep on insulting that Zoid he might just attack you one day for revenge." The jovial voice of Rob Hermann was heard, just a second before his smiling face appeared on both the Lieutenants' and the nurse's screens.

"Yeah, he is unpredictable sometimes isn't he?" The young Lieutenant laughed along with the blonde Captain, causing another soft growl to rumble in the white Zoids throat, making Levana chuckle quietly, before reassuring her Zoid that they were just teasing and meant no harm. The older Zoid quieted down after that and patiently ignored the two men's comments for the rest of the journey.

Four hours later, the small Republican convoy stopped in the middle of the desert and left behind a large cluster of dusty brown "_Sleeper_" Guysak Zoids. Levana didn't particularly like leaving the dangerous Zoids behind, even though they were technically at War, her job was to help and heal people, while those Zoids were the exact opposite of everything she stood for.

Levana had voiced her concerns to the Captain before they left and he, along with Lieutenant O'Connell assured her that the Zoids would only awaken and attack if they sensed Imperial weaponry; easing Levana's worry slightly, but still death was something that Levana had a hard time with, being that it was one of the main reasons why she had chosen her specific field. She wanted to help people and keep them alive. Although she knew perfectly well that she would encounter a patient one day that no amount of medical skill and expertise could help. She wouldn't say that she was ready for that dreadful day, but when it came she hoped and prayed that she would have enough strength to endure the aftermath.

From then on their journey seemed to finish a lot more quickly than it had started. By the time that the convoy had reached the Red River Base, the sun was just starting to creep above the horizon. When the fortress was finally within sight, everyone sighed thankfully in relief, that they were neither attacked nor spotted by the Imperial forces, which were positioned on the other side of the river. They were so close that it immediately sent everyone on edge, but at the same time everyone was relieved. It was an odd feeling to feel both relief and nervousness at the same time, but none of the soldiers or Medical Squad would complain.

"Alright men, I want half of you to set up a proper perimeter, while the rest of you unload the Zoids and equipment." The tall blonde Captain ordered as soon as all of the soldiers and Medical Squad stood in line before him, patiently awaiting their orders.

"I want the Medical squadron to unload and have their equipment set up immediately. Lieutenant O'Connell, you and ten men will assist them. Everyone you are dismissed." With his last command, everyone saluted their superior respectively, before disbanding in a composed and experienced fashion, after he returned their salute. Everyone knew their assignments and they would carry their orders out just as perfectly as they had practiced so many times before.

"Ms Henley, when we're done unloading the equipment I'll show you to your quarters. I'm sure that you're tired and would like to rest afterwards. Don't worry about the Command Wolf; he will be taken good care of, I'll see to it personally." The Lieutenant told the young blonde haired nurse in a formal and business-like tone, using her surname. They may have been good friends but they were still soldiers and right now respect was to be given to the higher command and formalities were necessary.

"Thank you, Lieutenant O'Connell. I appreciate your kind offer and I accept it with much gratitude." Levana returned with a small thankful smile, using the same formalities as the young Lieutenant. Traveling had always exhausted the young woman for some unknown reason, but she had been training her body to not tire so easily and it was working, perhaps not as quickly as she might have wanted but progress was progress, small or not.

"It's my pleasure, Ms Henley." The teal haired Lieutenant replied returning his best friend's smile with his own. Everyone was exhausted from the long trip, but the Medic's health was directly at the top of the list of important priorities, just under weapons and ammunition. With tired Medic's on hand, accidents and unnecessary deaths could occur, so it was the soldier's duties to keep them healthy and safe at all times and the same courtesy was shown in return to the soldiers, when they needed medical attention.


	4. Chapter Three: The Poker Game & Orders

Chapter Three:

The Poker Game, the Orders and Reflections

"Would you like a cup of Java Levana, O'Connell?" The blonde Captain asked when his two best friends walked into the new base of operations; O'Connell looked like he was sleep-walking, while Levana just looked like she needed some caffeine.

"Yes, thank you sir." The tired Lieutenant murmured before taking the steaming cup of coffee that was offered. He really looked like he hadn't slept for several days, but as soon as he took the first sip of the straight black coffee; he immediately brightened up into his usual self.

"No thank you, sir. I still haven't acquired the taste of Coffee yet." Levana told the blonde man politely, with a small tired smile, before she walked over to the Captain and took the offered cup, which to her surprise held cooled tea, her favorite. With a thankful smile, Levana took the cup and followed the two elder men to the large table and sat down beside the teal haired man, while the blonde Captain pulled out some maps of the entire mountainous area of Red River.

It had been two days since their arrival at the Red River base and so far things were going smoothly, almost too smooth in everyone's mind. Seeing as how part of the Imperial Army was on the other side of the ravine, probably more than ready to fight and enter the Republic Capital, against the cease fire agreement. Right now, the three friends were tired from a long day of work and all they wanted was to sleep away the days stress, but their duties came first and a good game of poker was long over due.

"You know, it's been too quiet around here these days. You'd figure that the Imperial soldiers would have done something since we got here." O'Connell voiced his thoughts, while laying down a pair of Jacks and three tens: a full house. Not a bad hand, but not the best, his chances of winning were fifty-fifty, but knowing his two comrades, he was more than likely going to loose. Poker had never been his best card game, but he was decent enough to get by with a few wins against his Captain.

Playing poker was an old tradition between the two men and when Levana joined their group, it was only right that she would join in their game and much to the two men's surprise; Levana was a damn good poker player. It was always hard to tell what the young woman was thinking when she pulled on her serious mask.

"Yeah, I agree. But what can we do, they're the ones who will make the next move; much like my self." The blonde man muttered before laying down his hand, which consisted of a pair of deuces, a nine and two sixes. A crappy hand, if he did say so himself, with his current hand, he wasn't even going to try and bluff his way through, so with a sigh he folded, "Well, it looks like it's between you and Levana, O'Connell. I'm out."

"Yeah, so what do you have, Ms. Henley?" O'Connell asked the younger woman with a cocky smirk. He just knew that he was going to win this hand or rather, he hoped he would. He had only won three games since Levana had joined them and they were few and far between now days.

"Well, Mr. O'Connell it seems like you…" Levana trailed off before laying her hand down, "Loose." She finished with a smile, making both of the men's eyes widen, before the young Lieutenant hung his head in shame and defeat. Levana had clearly won; there was no way around that fact. Levana looked down at her winning hand and smiled, she held three Aces, and two Kings: an Ace high full house, one of the better hands that a player could ask for.

"Ugh, not again… man, when is lady luck going to shine on me?" The teal haired Lieutenant whined, giving the lucky woman a mock glare. Was he never going to beat her at this game? Probably not, he mused silently. Levana was extremely good at this game, but he knew that if it was any other game than poker, she'd loose every time. It was actually quite a funny thing to watch.

Levana laughed lightly and replied, "Lady Luck would be with you, but she favored her own gender this time." With that said, both of the men burst out laughing and O'Connell handed the young woman the rest of the deck, so she could reshuffle them for another round.

"I'll beat you this time, Levana. I just know it." The Lieutenant promised just as the said blonde haired girl passed out the cards for the next round, which was surely not to be their last.

The young woman laughed lightly and smiled at the young Lieutenant's comment. The Lieutenant really was stubborn at times, but he was still her friend and no matter what she knew that he was as loyal as they came; she was thankful that she had friends like him and Captain Hermann. Things just wouldn't be the same if they weren't around and without them she doubted that she would be able to stay in the Republican army at all. It wasn't that she didn't believe in the Republic's ideals, in fact she rather like their plans, but she had been born in the Empire and had taken on her late Father's Imperial ideals as well.

Levana's mother had been born and raised in the Republic just like all of her family that came before her, while her Father had been born and raised in the Empire. From the very day that she was born her heart had been divided in to two different directions, for two very different reigns of government. She couldn't betray her Mother or Grandmother, but she could never betray what her Father had fought for either, nor could she betray Thomas, Karl and Mrs. Schubaltz or the memories that came with them.

It was heartbreaking to see the two places that she loved and called home, fight for complete control so often. At first, she had called herself a neutral in the war, not favoring either side as she was only a nurse, but she knew that if she was ever caught by the Imperial troops, she would be labeled as the enemy. In war, she soon came to realize that it did not matter if you chose a side or not, because one way or another someone or something would choose one for you. So here she was now, a nurse and hopefully a soon-to-be Doctor and best friends with the only child and son of the Madam President of the Helic Republic and his best friend a Lieutenant in the army. Her life had certainly taken a strange path, but her loyalties would always remain true to her friends both Republican and Imperial, though they warred against each other on both planet Zi and in her heart.

In the shadow of a cliff face, a lone figure stood observing the base below. A sly smirk crossed his lips when he saw that there weren't any guards watching the ammunition trailer. This would be too easy, all he had to do was sneak in and "_borrow_" some ammunition and leave, clean and easy. The Republican army wouldn't even miss it; after all, his trusty Zoid partner needed the ammo more than theirs did. The Republican army had a lot more Zoids that he had previously thought they would, but with the lack of soldiers standing guard, it didn't really matter.

"Well old friend, we'll wait up here another two hours and let the guards get tired, and then we'll get you some ammo. How does that sound?" The young man asked his partner, a deep black and red Command Wolf. The wolf growled lowly and quietly as if replying to the man's question.

"Good." The man smiled before kneeling down beside the front claws of his dark Zoid and resting; all he had to do now was wait a little longer and this would be the easiest snatch-and-grab of his life.

Back in the base, almost an hour and five reshuffles later, O'Connell had managed to win one hand, while the Captain had won two and Levana was currently working on her second win for the night. Their final game was almost over, and then they would retire to their rooms for the night, but the game was still on.

"Man, after this I think I'm going to hit the sack." The teal haired man said while yawning widely. He had consumed seven cups of coffee and still he was tired and his hand was again, not a winner, but he was trying to bluff his way through this final round; though by the looks of things, even a convincing bluff wasn't going to save him.

"Hmm, I agree." The blonde captain nodded in response while shifting his cards around. He had another decent hand and he could even win with it, if Levana didn't have any cards higher than a Jack. Subtly he glanced over at the young woman and tried to assess what she might be holding, but it was all in vain. She never let anyone know, not one sign… unless there was something that he had missed all of this time, but how could that be? The tired blonde captain just shook his head, Levana-no women in general were just extremely complex and very hard to understand. Not too many things had ever vexed Robert Hermann, but women had always been a different matter all together and he seriously doubted that any man would ever completely be able to understand them.

"Well, gentlemen are you ready?" Levana asked, after taking a sip of her cool tea. This game was actually rather interesting tonight and she was glad that she hadn't left early for bed, but right now she was tired and really needed sleep, so this round was going to close quickly.

Both of the men nodded their heads and laid their cards down. O'Connell had a duce, two fives, a seven and a four. He had lost completely. The blonde captain had three Jacks, a duce and a nine, while Levana had three tens, an eight and a six. She had lost, but only by a hairs breath.

"Congratulations Captain, you won the game and the pot. Now if you will excuse me Captain, Lieutenant I'm going to retire to my quarters for the night. Good night, guys." Levana smiled at the two men, before leaving the room; their polite biddings of departure causing the young blonde haired woman to smile happily to herself, as she headed of towards her room.

She was quite tired and being sleep deprived wasn't a good thing for her to be, especially when they were so close to the Empire's forces. If a battle broke out and someone was enviably injured, with her lack of sleep and sluggish mind it would greatly increase her failure for helping the troops. But she couldn't den her friends a few games of poker, it just wasn't in her to do so. Her grandmother had always said that she was a little too nice and loyal for her own good and that one day it would cause her a lot of problems. But Levana had always though otherwise, thinking of others health and happiness above her own.

When she was finally alone in her quiet new room, Levana's thoughts immediately returned to her childhood memories. It wasn't unusual; it had happened every year since she left her old home in the Empire, strangely enough it mostly only happened on the anniversary week of her departure. As much as Levana wanted to forget the bad memories sometimes, she couldn't and wouldn't let herself, because it would mean that she would have to forget her mother, her childhood best friends Thomas, Karl and Mrs. Schubaltz, who had practically been her second mother. Even after almost twelve years, she still never forgot them although she imagined that they didn't look exactly how she had always remembered them in her dreams and memories. But that was to be expected; she didn't quite look the same either.

Ten minutes later, Levana lay down on her bed, after changing into a comfortable sleeping shirt and shorts, within mere seconds of lying down she was fast asleep. Only to be immediately transported back in time through her memories, back to a war free place and a much happier time.

"Major Schubaltz sir, there's a call for you from Minister Prozen. He wishes to speak to you immediately, sir." The young soldier saluted his superior, as he nervously shifted his feet while in the presence of the strict blonde haired Imperial Major.

The young man couldn't have been more than nineteen-years-old, with his dusty brunette hair and light grey eyes, which shined with uneasiness and immaturity. If Karl recalled correctly, the boy had just graduated from the cadets only a week ago, with a dozen or so other recruits. Not one of the new soldiers even surpassed the age of twenty-one, they were all just boys and all of them were extremely fidgety. But some of them had notable skills in different areas of warfare; it was all marked in their profiles that the Major had looked over two days ago.

"At ease, Soldier, I'll take the call in here. You're dismissed." The blonde Major calmly dismissed the obviously nervous young soldier, who saluted his superior once more before leaving the Major's quarters in a faster pace than was customary.

The blonde haired Major always seemed to have a very commanding and firm presence, which made all of the younger soldiers nervous. The Major was always professional, clean cut and commanded respect wherever he went and with his straight and steadfast posture and attitude, it was hard not to feel just a little intimidated. The Major was a rather young man to carry such a superior rank and his reputation was first-class, plus his mysterious and always stoic demeanor caused many to feel diminutive and slightly uneasy when he was around. Yet, despite all of this the soldiers followed him loyally; perhaps it was because of his confidence and reputation that people trusted him to such a great extent.

With a quiet irritated sigh, the blonde Major walked over to the large black screen and paused for just a second, contemplating weather or not he really wanted to listen to the silver haired bureaucrat, who ordered him around like he was the Emperor of the Guylos Empire, instead of the pencil-pusher that he truly was. As much as Karl detested taking orders from the man, he knew that it was his duty to protect and serve the Empire and if it meant dealing with the bureaucratic nuisance, then he would do it. Though taking orders from the Minister was one thing he was very careful with, something about the silver haired man was just off and more than a bit untrustworthy in Karl's mind.

Brushing away the ever nagging thoughts to the back of his mind, the blonde Major flipped on the screen. Only to immediately face the stern features of the silver haired bureaucrat Gunther Prozen. The crimson eyed man did not look pleased, yet Karl could never remember a time when the man had ever looked happy while in his presence. It was possible that the Minister disliked him as much as Karl always had. Actually it was more than just "_probably_", as the two men seemed to always find conflict with one another, especially when they were meeting face-to-face.

"Major Schubaltz, you have been given the order to head to the Red River Base. It seems like the rebel forces have begun to congregate and the troops that are already there will need backup. So you will take twenty Molga units to Red River and lead the combined units against the rebels. Disperse from your current location, immediately. That is an order Major." The silver haired Minister commanded in a business-like tone, not even giving the blonde Major a moment to talk until he was finished speaking.

"Yes, Sir." Karl saluted frostily, before the connection was cut off rather quickly. Apparently the Minister didn't want to waist his time conversing with the blonde haired man. But with these new orders to head out to the Red River Base, something about it seemed too rushed. The Republic couldn't have that many units at the base so swiftly, things were just not making any complete since. Sure, a new batch of troops had arrived at the Republican base only a few days ago, but there were not very many in the unit and mostly what the spies had told him of was that the unit consisted mostly of Medics.

'_Just what kind of game are you trying to play here Prozen?'_ Karl mused to himself, as he pulled off his hat and laid it on the small table, before seating himself in one of the chairs. In the dim light of the Major's personal quarters one could see just how youthful the Major truly was, with his shaggy dusty blonde mane and his sharp, yet weary bottle green eyes that shined with the dignity and maturity of someone who had seen many battles, despite his age.

With all of the recent happenings between the Empire and the Republican forces as of late, Karl hadn't been able to write to his mother and see how she and Thomas had been doing lately. He had been wondering if Thomas was still trying to find out about whose care Levana had been placed in, twelve long years ago. Ever since that horrible accident twelve years ago, Thomas had been nothing short of adamant on finding Levana and bringing her back to their home, so adamant in fact that Karl had to tie his younger brother to his bed when he found out that she had been taken away.

Karl had never seen his younger brother so angry and heartbroken before, until Karl told him that Levana had been taken away by her mother's family. Thomas truly cherished Levana like no other, she was his only childhood friend and probably the only one who believed in his dreams; she was so much more than a friend to Thomas, she was his baby sister as well. Karl had once called Thomas selfish for wanting the young girl to stay with them forever. When she would be better off with her own blood kin and yet, when he saw how his mother had reacted to the young girl being gone from their lives, he then truly realized just how much of an imprint that she had left on his family and himself and just how much she truly belonged with them.

He had missed her a lot more than he had let on throughout the years and maybe when the war was finally over and he wasn't needed in the army any longer, he would use some of his contacts to find some information on Levana's whereabouts. But right now, his duties to the Empire were resolute and with the impending threat of an all out war brimming just over the horizon, he had to delay his investigation. At least for just a little longer.


	5. Chapter Four: The Would Be Thief

Chapter Four:

The Would-Be Thief and Unexpected Revelations

The next day, half an hour before noon, a slightly worn-out and sleep-deprived Levana steadily made her way towards the Planning room. She was supposed to meet with Captain Hermann and Lieutenant O'Connell in five minutes. Their latest important military discussion was to be on the topic of last night's attempted robbery of an ammunitions' carrier and the "almost thief", who was currently residing in one of the holding cells.

The proper punishment for his offence was to be the main topic and Levana knew that if she was not present at his private trial, of which he knew nothing about, then no one would stand up for his defense. Of course what he had done, or rather what he had tried to do was unlawful and since it was against the Republican Army, they had the right to court marshal him without his knowledge and serve any punishment that they deemed appropriate.

It was a harsh reality that they lived in and even if she could not sway the jury of High Ranking Officers, then at least she could rest peacefully at night knowing that she had tried to do everything that possible and by the law to help him out. Levana wasn't quite sure why she was so adamant about helping the roguish bandit, but when she saw him being dragged, none too gently, towards his newly appointed cell, by four soldiers she couldn't help but notice that he was so young. He looked to have been the same age as she, eighteen or so. Maybe it was his age, or it could have been the small similarities that she saw in his eyes, which reminded her of someone she once knew, or maybe it was none of the above at all. Levana couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason why, but she still wanted to help ease his sentence.

"Did I miss anything?" Levana whispered, when she slowly eased up to stand beside the teal haired Lieutenant. From what Levana could see, it appeared that the meeting had jus started, but she wanted to make sure that she hadn't missed anything important.

"No, they just sat down a few seconds before you _snuck _in." The Lieutenant quietly assured the semi-late Nurse, in a teasing manner. Levana just smiled at the Lieutenant before they both turned their attention back to the debating Officers. There were only four ranked Officers sitting at the table, excluding Captain Hermann.

Levana only knew the four by rank and last names, as she had never worked under or with any of them before. Although she had heard, from quiet rumors that all four were rather strict and did not allow any horseplay or mess-ups among their soldiers; this fact alone, made the blonde haired Nurse extremely nervous. Captain Hermann was as lenient of a Captain as they came, yet when he set his foot down there was no one who would defy him. But, Levana had actually gotten to know the young Captain and she had learned how he operated. These men however, were a complete mystery to her. The odds for a more lenient sentence were looking rather poor at the moment.

For the first thirty minutes of the discussion, the thief was not even mentioned once. Instead the four Officers seemed more interested in what the Imperial soldiers were doing and what precautions were being taken if they decided to attack the Red River base. Levana was becoming more fidgety as the minutes slowly ticked by; with no mention whatsoever of the young would-be thief. Lieutenant O'Connell had quickly taken notice of the blonde haired woman's increasing nervousness and had started to wonder himself if they were even going to bring up the attempted theft of not.

Another ten minutes slowly ticked by, before one of the guest Officers spoke up, "Now that those matters are settled. Shall we discuss what the appropriate punishment for the thief shall be?"

The other three members nodded their heads in silent agreement, before the young blonde Captain began to tell the older Officers what exactly had occurred at the base last night. Both Levana and the teal haired Lieutenant instantly straightened themselves from their semi-lazed positions against the grey stone wall, when they heard the blonde Capitan's voice.

Meanwhile many corridors away from the meeting room, the would-be thief lay on his _very_ uncomfortable cell bed, which in his opinion felt like padded rocks. But what could he expect; it wasn't like he was a welcomed red-carpet guest, if anything he reminded himself of a house mouse. The sly little rodents were always sneaking in to people's homes and stealing what they needed to survive, and always right under the human's noses. It was kind of humorous really; now that he actually had plenty enough spare time to think about things.

Time it seemed had purposely slowed down to a snail's pace since the moment he had been thrown into his new abode. Since time apparently wasn't going anywhere in a hurry and neither was he. He decided that now was as good a time as any to re-think over his failed attempt at robbery and ascertain what exactly he had overlooked and why he had ended up in a cell.

Slowly, the blurry images of last night's events came into clearer focus in his mind. He could now clearly see himself, as if in a third person view climb into his dark Command Wolf's cockpit and slink in the shadows of night, as he expertly piloted the wolf nearer to the fortified Republican base without getting caught. As that memory faded from his mind, a new memory materialized. The large black and maroon wolf was poised in a predatory pouncing pose. The wolf kept this poise for several long minutes, before the young dusty brunette haired pilot silently urged the mechanical wolf Zoid into a swift run, just seconds before the dark Zoid leaped over the tall barricade that separated and protected the Base from outside enemy attacks.

The next few memories were still as indistinct as when he had first experienced them, but the distinct sounds of mobilizing Zoids, shouting soldiers in a near panic at his sudden appearance and his Command Wolf's angry growls, were enough for him to know that he had underestimated the Republican soldier's numbers. Minutes later, the rogue Zoid pilot remembered being cornered and threatened by several armed Gordos. In the end he reluctantly surrendered and the Republican soldiers spared his Zoid from any unnecessary damage, but they immediately threw him into his current cell moments later.

Trying to remember exactly how many turns and corridors his escorts had lead him down, the young mercenary did a quick retake of his capture; so when he had the opportunity to escape he would at least know where he was going so he wouldn't become lost and recaptured by the Republican soldiers. As he mentally scanned over the corridors, he suddenly remembered seeing a short dead-end hallway that had only one occupant standing outside one of the few doors. It had been a girl, roughly about his own age from what he could remember.

The girl had a perplexed and slightly panicked look on her face, when she had spotted him, being lead towards the cells by four crabby looking soldiers. Apparently his little entourage had jostled everyone in the entire base from their peaceful slumber. Mentally he had laughed at his great timing. As the soldiers pulled him towards the cells he remembered locking eyes with the attractive young woman. From what he could remember, the girl had shoulder length flaxen blonde hair, which seemed to be made of pure silk and sparkling baby blue eyes that held a slight haze from sleep. Yet there was a glint of maturity there, which most young people lacked. It was intriguing.

He had to squint his eyes a little bit to see through his mind's haze, but he could make out what the young woman's cloths and figure had looked like. The memory caused a sly fox-like grin to etch itself across his face at the image. The girl had a decently proportioned body, long slender legs and a nice soft natural tan, which fit her age perfectly, she had to be older than seventeen, but she didn't look quite twenty, so that left her with being eighteen or nineteen. Taking an educated guess, he'd have said she was probably eighteen, his age. He'd have to catch her name sometime, he mentally reminded himself, before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Back in the Planning-slash-Meeting room, Captain Hermann had just finished telling the guest Officers of the would-be thief's escapade and now the four were quietly discussing the situation amongst themselves. The blonde Captain, waited patiently for them to come to a decision, along with the teal haired Lieutenant, while the young nurse was starting to become fidgety. Their discussion didn't last long however, as just a few minutes later they broke away from their huddle, with each one nodding their heads in agreement to whatever was the final verdict.

The eldest Officer, who had done most of the talking, cleared his throat lightly, before taking a sip from his cup of Java. After the dark caffeine was swallowed and the cup placed back onto the long desk, he finally began to speak. "Captain Hermann, we have taken all of what you have told us into account, and we, the council have decided that this bandit's sentence is not our top priority right now. So, we shall leave his punishment up to you, but Captain you should realize that compared to the occupied Imperial base just across the river, is much more important than a petty thief."

"Yes, Sir I understand completely." The blonde Captain respectfully saluted his superiors, as they stood from their seats and returned the salute. Seconds later the four Officers filed out of the room, while the blonde Captain respectfully showed them out, nodding their heads at the salutes that were given to them by Lieutenant O'Connell and Levana.

"Well, that wasn't much of a decision, was it?" The young teal haired Lieutenant muttered quietly to himself, after he was sure that none would hear him. Levana chuckled softly at his comment, but nodded her head in agreement. The Officers had only been concerned about the Imperial soldiers, but Levana was relieved despite their narrow mindedness. Had there not been the threat of an invasion from the Empire, the thief surely would have been punished fully to the Republic's law.

After a moment of relief, Levana's curiosity compelled her to ask something that even she didn't know, "What do you think Captain Hermann will do with the thief?"

The young Lieutenant had a thoughtful look upon his face for several seconds before he answered with a shrug, "I'm not really sure, Levana. But I guess for now, the Captain will just keep him in the cells, until the Imperial base situation is resolved, seeing as how everyone is more concerned with them than the would-be thief."

"I suppose you're right, Lieutenant. Maybe we should be more concerned with the Imperial soldiers than a thief." Levana muttered to herself thoughtfully, as her mind slowly slid back to thoughts of the bandit and his likeness to someone she once knew so well. The past, she was always thinking of the past lately. It seemed like she would never have a future without the past always being present.

"Well now that that's over." The blonde Captain sighed, as he walked back into the Planning room, successfully breaking the blonde girl from her thoughts, as he suddenly addressed her, "Levana, I received a message this morning concerning a need for more experienced medic's back at our previous base. I told them that you would be needed here, but they insisted upon you coming and they requested several other nurses by name, so I really have no choice in the matter. As there are no injuries among the soldiers as of now, I am granting their request for medics."

"They have assured me that you will return, along with the other nurses in less than two weeks, less if there is a battle here." Captain Hermann finished with another sigh. He wasn't particularly happy about sending any of his medics to another base, especially with Imperial soldiers being so close to their base. He could only spare a few men and Zoids to escort them on their journey and that was dangerous. Anything could happen, at any moment and he didn't want his subordinates getting hurt or killed, just because some high standing Doctor was picky about which Nurses worked under him.

"I understand, Sir." Levana smiled delicately, hoping she could ease the blonde Captain's worries. She knew all too well what the blonde haired man had been thinking and he was well within his rights to worry. She along with everyone in the entire base were his subordinates, each and everyone of them were under his care and he felt responsible for every one and if something happened just because of one finicky Doctor then Levana was sure that the young Captain would never forgive himself. But she was sure that if anything happened then the Doctor would be removed from his duties, permanently.

"I knew you would, Levana." The blonde Captain smiled, Levana sure was something else. He'd never met a woman who took things so well, even when things didn't go according to plan or when something monkey wrench happened she was always ready to do what she could or what was necessary of her. Levana was the type of woman who evolved, in a way, to the situation, no matter what it was and that was a rare quality in people. He admired that unique quality a lot.

"Here's the list of nurses that the good Doctor wants, please make sure that they are ready to depart by tomorrow morning." The blonde Captain said, while handing the blonde haired girl a piece of paper, which had a short list of names scribbled on it. Levana took the piece of paper offered and looked the names over quickly but diligently, instantly picturing each nurse in her mind's eye.

"I'll tell them immediately, Sir." The girl responded, respectfully saluting her two superiors and best friends, before she hastily took her leave. Knowing that the nurses needed to be told immediately, otherwise none of them would be ready by tomorrow morning and if Levana knew anything, the they would be leaving bright and early tomorrow, so packing and preparations needed to be done by tonight.

Breaks, it seemed were not meant for her current lifestyle, but Levana knew that right now all she could do is roll along with the speed. It was sure to slow down sometime.


	6. Chapter Five: How Time Flies

Chapter Five:

How Time Flies

Minutes after daybreak a small convoy silently left the Red River Base undetected. The inconspicuous company was made up of only one Gustav, in whom the four requested nurses resided, a snow colored Command Wolf, piloted by Levana and two armed that Gordos served as their protectors. Captain Hermann ordered the party to be as small as possible so as to avoid detection by Imperial spies. Levana was hesitant to leave the Red River base, but she couldn't override or refuse orders unless it was a life or death situation. Something deep within her gut told her that she needed to stay, that something important, not just for her but for everyone was going to happen and she was being sent away. Levana lost count on how many times she turned to watch the base slowly sink farther and farther from her view. "It's just nerves, nothing to concern myself with, it's just nerves," She tried to reassure herself, just as the base completely disappeared from view.

The whole ten hour trip was exhausting due to how frazzled Levana's nerves were, but like a true soldier she stuck it out until they reached the new base. As the command wolf came to a resting stop in the hangar Levana forced the uneasiness from her mind and exited the cockpit with a groan. Her muscles ached terribly but thankfully the head doctor and indirect cause of her problems quickly released Levana and the four other nurses to do as they pleased as soon as he made sure that the nurses sent were the ones he had specifically called for. Doctor Ulysses was a strict man in his early thirties who would have been fairly attractive with his dark chocolate hair and eyes if he hadn't been such a toffee-nosed prick with no sense of humor. He was perhaps the most disliked man in the Republican army, especially among the medical branch. However Levana had long ago learned to ignore his attitude, as he was one of the best doctors alive and one could learn much from him.

Levana and the four other nurses from the Red River base had to share a room due to the lack of free single rooms in the base, which were occupied by the doctors and soldiers. Levana didn't mind sharing her quarters as the four other girls were good company and semi-friendly with one another. All of them had been in the same medical classes and had lived in the same wing of the school before they were transferred. A couple of the girls sat on their beds chatting about nondescript things, while the other two left to find food after they had unpacked their things and settled in. Levana however stretched out onto her new, cold bed and within mere seconds blissfully unconscious and unaware of the world around her or the events that were beginning to unfold back at Red River base.

"I wish we could leave already, this place is so frigid even a steaming bucket of java couldn't warm it," Maria a young auburn haired nurse with flaring green eyes muttered bitterly under her breath after she stormed away from a displeased Doctor Ulysses. Levana hid her grin behind her newest patient's clipboard. "Just ignore him and do what you do best," Maria looked up from her abused clipboard and stared at the ever calm Levana Henley with awe. "How do you do that?" She asked slightly harshly, but the anger was not meant for the flaxen blonde nurse. Levana looked up and smiled calmly. "Practiced restraint and constant prayer," She replied simply. Maria's jaw dropped, before a wide smiled curved her lips and she laughed. "You amaze me Levana, you really do," Maria said with a smile. "You're telling me, Levana here is a saint on Zi," Camille spoke up with a grin as she, Alyssa and Rachel walked up to the two conversing nurses.

Levana shook her head rejecting the praise. "No I'm really not, believe me, everyone has a breaking point, mine is just… well hidden and buried." She confessed with a sad smile. "Even if that is the case, I still envy you," Maria said with a smile now in a better mood as she headed back to the frowning doctor to finish with her last patient of the afternoon. "She's right you know," Alyssa spoke up while she checked the IV drip of the patient next to Levana's. "But so are you," She continued when she knew Levana was listening. "Everyone does have their breaking points and in all of the time that I have known you not once have I ever once seen you come close to losing your temper." Levana's baby blue eyes flickered back and forth between her unconscious patient and the nurse. "Not to preach or anything because we all do it one way or another, but it's unhealthy for you to keep everything bottled up inside of you for so long. You'll end up destroying yourself if you do, believe me I've seen it happen first hand." Alyssa confessed in a sad, regretful tone before she quickly left to attend to the rest of her assigned patients.

Alyssa's words ran through Levana's mind for the rest of the day. Was she really holding everything in until the breaking point? Or was Alyssa just being too worried over nothing? It was true that many unspeakable things had happened in Levana's life, but she was fairly certain that she wasn't headed down a round of self-destruction. Her grandmother had even made her see a shrink when she was younger after she had been so abruptly and viciously torn from her old life. Levana loved her grandmother but sometimes the older woman was just too much. The shrink had quickly concluded that Levana was mentally stable and that had been the end of it. However Alyssa's words had caused Levana to question if the shrink had been right or not. Levana sunk down onto her cold bed with a tired sigh before she pulled off her shoes and slipped under the covers. It had only been four days since they had first arrived at the new base yet somehow it seemed like so much more time had passed due to doctor Ulysses working them like Zoids day and night.

"I want to go back just as much as they do," Levana shifted onto her side, with her back facing the rest of the room. She disliked the new base as much as the other girls did. It was cold, dark and impersonal which was something none of them were used to, except Levana and Alyssa. Both of them had been in such environments before and had escaped but now they were thrown back into what they never wanted to ever return to. The past was something no one could ever escape no matter how badly they wanted to. Levana's face scrunched up in a grimace when her head began to throb painfully. Levana rolled over and grabbed her rarely used headache pills and downed two before she finally let herself fall into a light, restless slumber filled with flashing memories of the darker side of her childhood.

"Levana, hey Levana wake up," A distorted, faraway voice slowly roused the sleeping nurse from her doze. "What is it Maria," Levana was too tired to care that her voice sounded scratchy and low or that her headache had not yet gone away. "Here," A voice that sounded like Rachel's spoke before a glass of cool water was placed before the half-asleep nurse. "Thank you," Levana whispered and took the glass with trembling hands only to spill more on herself and her bed sheets than she got into her mouth. The tired nurse blinked a few times and sat the half empty glass down before she pulled her lethargic body into a sitting position. "Sorry to wake you but we thought you might like to hear the news," Maria burst out with so much happiness that Levana couldn't help but smile even though she was confused. "What news?" She then asked. Her blue eyes scanned the four smiling faces before her. "We're going back to the Red River base tomorrow morning!" Camille suddenly burst out unable to keep quiet any longer. Levana's eyes widened slightly in surprise and she was only able to mouth the word 'oh'.

"This is great news huh? All of my stuff is packed and ready to go. I don't understand why we can't leave now, but even this is great…" Camille continued to rant on and on about how badly she wanted to leave that instant. Maria quickly joined her along with Rachel, but Alyssa eased herself down beside the disorientated Levana with a worried frown. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly but didn't wait for an answer before she placed her palm on the blonde's forehead to check for a fever. "I'm just tired," Levana replied with a slight smiled that barely reached her eyes. "You're lying." Alyssa responded bluntly. "Now tell me what's wrong." She ordered in a stern voice that Levana was unaware she even possessed. "I just have a headache. It's not a big deal." Levana confessed with a sigh but was quickly cut off from making another excuse.

"When did it start?" Alyssa was going to be a really good nurse one day Levana mused. "What time is it?" She asked instead of answering. "It's almost time for the lights to go out." Alyssa replied, her face becoming more and more worried by the second. "Then I've had it for almost seven hours," Levana supplied after a moment of thought knowing that the lights went out at ten and she had to have left the medical wing around four in the afternoon. "Seven hours?" The younger girl asked in bewilderment. "Have you taken anything for it?" Levana nodded in response and pointed to her bottle of pills. "I took two before sleeping," Alyssa snatched the pill bottle up and examined the label before she snapped off the cap and dumped a couple of the pills out into her hand to inspect.

"How often do you take these?" Levana blinked once before answering. "Not often. I rarely have headaches anymore. This is the first one I've had in over two months," Alyssa's eyes narrowed in thought as she rebottled the pills and put the bottle back onto the small table beside the bed. "They should have worked, two is more than enough to get rid of a headache," Alyssa mumbled with creased eyebrows. Levana sunk back down into her warm bed sheets when her headache still persisted to grow worse. "You're not running a fever but still you looked flushed," Alyssa continued to mumble about Levana's symptoms unaware that Levana had began to drift in and out of consciousness. What happened next was all pretty much a blur with vague snippets of rushed conversations and images. At one point when she momentarily regained consciousness she was able to see that she was in the medical wing with Dr. Ulysses at her side.

The next time she regained consciousness she was vaguely aware that she was no longer in the base at all and instead in a Gustav with the four other nurses, as she was alert enough to fleetingly take notice of her surroundings. Alyssa's blurry face leaned over into Levana's spotty vision and gave the half-unconscious girl a small reassuring smile. "Dr. Ulysses said that we could head back to Red River earlier than planned. He concluded that the environment you were being subjected to wasn't good for your health due to your past medical history." Levana gave a sleepy smile to the worried girl before she drifted off into the soothing darkness of sleep. The next time she woke, this time for good, her headache was gone and she was back in her old room at the Red River base. Cautiously Levana stood from her bed and tested her weakened muscles and equilibrium. When she found that she could walk and stand normally she took a quick shower and re-dressed, before leaving her room.

The atmosphere of the base had changed since she had left. The air felt tenser than normal, but nothing seemed to be out of place to her eyes. Levana headed straight to the Captain's meeting room, hoping to see a familiar face or two along the way. Much to her surprise and disappointment she didn't meet anyone in the halls. It was almost like the place had been deserted, but she was certain that Captain Hermann would never abandon the base while part of the Imperial army was so close by. It didn't take long for her to reach the meeting room. Just as she was about to knock the door opened and the person exiting nearly ran into her. Levana backed up as Lieutenant O'Connell came stumbling from the room and into the hallway. When he regained his balance, he looked up and froze before words of apology could even leave his lips. They stared at each other for a moment before the lieutenant grinned and suddenly wrapped the blonde haired girl in a tight hug that she returned. "I'm glad you're awake Levana, the Captain and I were starting to really worry since you came in unconscious this morning."

Levana gently pulled out of the hug and gave the exuberant lieutenant a smile. "It's good to be back and you really shouldn't have worried, as you can see I'm fine." She tried to reassure the lieutenant, who though doubtful of her words, let it pass. He was just glad that she was back where she belonged. "The Captain is waiting outside if you wish to speak to him. That's where I'm headed if you'd like the company." O'Connell told her after seemingly being able to read the unasked question in her eyes. "Thank you, I would much appreciate it." She replied with a smile. As they walked through the deserted hallways Levana and O'Connell caught up on what had happened while they were separated. Levana purposely left out details of her sudden headache and was thankful that the teal haired lieutenant didn't ask about it much. Apparently the troops were busy running drills due to Captain Hermann having a gut feeling that something was going to happen soon. "The sleepers were destroyed?" Levana repeated what she had just been told in astonishment.

"Yes, actually they were destroyed before you left, but word didn't get back to us until you had already left." The lieutenant told her with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Is that why everyone is on edge?" Levana asked tentatively, as the destroyed Zoids seemed to be a touchy subject. "Yes, the Captain thinks it was Imperial soldiers." He replied monotonously and Levana squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry everything will turn out how it should be in the end." She smiled and playfully nudged the Lieutenant in the shoulder. "I hope so," He sighed, still in a gloomy state of mind. "Oh, when did you become such a pessimist Travis?" Levana poked the downtrodden male on his cheek with a grin. The lieutenant's eyes drifted to his side to glance at the nurse upon hearing his first name that was almost never used anymore. He was actually surprised that she even knew his name, but somehow that one mundane thing cheered him up. "Sorry Levana," He apologized and gave a smile back to which Levana's grin turned into a large pleased smile. She was quite proud of her accomplishment.

Levana's eyes squinted when the harsh afternoon sunlight hit her sensitive vision. It only took a moment before her eyes adjusted and when they did she was greeted with polite nods and smiles from passing soldiers. She returned the greetings with a smile of her own, as she and the lieutenant made their way over to the blonde Captain who looked to be lecturing a few of the younger soldiers. Levana and Travis shared a grin behind the Captain's back. When they got closer Levana brought her pointer finger up to her lips in a shushing motion, so the soldiers wouldn't alert the Captain to their presence. They seemed a little apprehensive, but didn't make any further motions, as Levana eased up behind the tall blonde man. She stayed there for a moment listening to the Captain point out what they had done wrong and how they should have done it differently. "This was just a mock battle and be thankful for that. Otherwise I would have to send word to your families that their son's died in battle because they refused to follow orders."

The Captain's tone and words were harsh and anger was clearly his predominant emotion at the moment. However what the soldiers failed to know was that their Captain was placing more of the blame for their mess-up on himself than their inexperience. Levana felt sorry for the soldiers so she decided to speak up on their behalf. "Excuse my interruption Captain, but I believe they now understand what they did wrong and won't do it again." The Captain immediately turned around to reprimand whoever had interrupted him in mid-lecture, but stopped when he saw Levana's smiling face. "Right," he coughed into his hand to regain his composure and turned back to dismiss the soldiers who quickly saluted and walked away. "It's good to see you up and about Levana." He told her with a smile and clapped her on the shoulder gently. "It's good to be back, Captain." She returned and stepped back and away so that whatever the Captain had sent the lieutenant after could be reported.

While the two men were adamantly discussing the lieutenant's report, Levana spotted the old Command Wolf and walked over to him. Her fingertips gently trailed over his giant white muzzle and the Zoid gave a low growl of recognition. "It's good to see that you made it back safely." She told him quietly, happy to see that they hadn't left him at the old base. "He was taken good care of." Levana turned to the captain who had spoke and gave a thankful smile for the kind gesture that she was sure not many would have done if they were in his place. "Maybe now that all of my subordinates are back where they belong, this place will fall back into proper order." He said with a smile and Levana nodded her head in agreement when a sudden realization struck her by surprise. She had forgotten in all of the chaos that was going on that the anniversary was tomorrow. Levana's hands fell lifelessly from the great muzzle of the metal wolf Zoid. "Tomorrow," She unintentionally whispered aloud and immediately both of her companions understood the meaning of the utterance.

"Well, I had better get to the infirmary and check up on everything." Levana suddenly spoke up, her voice and face strangely joyful. The happiness however, did not reach her eyes as she bid good-bye to the Command Wolf and her two friends. The two men watched her walk away and wondered if they should let her burry herself in mounds of charts and paperwork like she was no doubt planning to do. Reluctantly they let it go, but decided that they would not let her spend all day tomorrow in a gloomy state or buried in work. On her way to the infirmary Levana remember that the thief was probably still in the cells and she decided that she would pay him an unexpected visit beforehand. She had yet to even learn his name. With a new destination in mind she headed towards the cells in a slightly improved mood.

It didn't take long to reach the holding cells, which were unsurprisingly not guarded as all of the soldiers were running drills. It was even easier to find the thief, who was unaware of her approach. Silently she observed him for a few minutes. He was languidly stretched out on the uncomfortable looking cot that barely passed as a bed, with his hands pillowing his head. His clothes and messy brunet hair gave him a scruffy appearance, but his face was smooth and unmarked. He was actually quite handsome and definitely the type her grandmother would disapprove of. That thought brought a smile to her face. "Are you gonna stare at me all day or introduce yourself?" A teasing voice suddenly asked and Levana jumped at the unexpected noise, but relaxed when the speaker turned to glance in her direction a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep." Levana apologized sheepishly. The brunet just grinned and moved to sit up on his cot. "Dunno how anyone can sleep through all the racket they've been making." He commented easily and Levana smiled. "Yes, it would be rather difficult." She responded chuckling softly. "I'm Levana Henley." She then told him and habitually went to shake his hand but stopped herself short with a laugh when she realized her mistake. He laughed to and introduced himself with a grin. "I'm Irvine, just Irvine." Levana tested his name on her tongue and found that she liked the way it sounded. "Say, Levana you wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of a black and maroon Command Wolf, would ya?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Levana took note of the subtle flirtation but tried not to respond back to it, wanting only to get to know him as a friend would. "It's in the yard and no one has messed with it." She reassured him. He looked pleased at this information and stood to his feet. He rolled his shoulders and slowly made his way closer to the bars.

"You don't look like a soldier, what is it that you do here Levana?" He inquired with a slight cock of his head. Levana noted that he was quite tall and muscular and even better looking up-close when she could get a good look at his one uncovered eye. "I'm a nurse stationed under Captain Hermann." She replied in a friendly conversational tone. "A nurse," He questioned with a disbelieving grin. "Now that's almost as unbelievable as you being a soldier." Levana cocked her head to the side. "Why is it unbelievable?" She asked confused. Irvine just grinned at her for a moment before he answered. "Because you're so petite and actually pleasant to be around, all of the nurses I've known were stiff and cranky." Levana laughed at his answer. "You must have only known a few then." She commented and Irvine shrugged. "I'm not too big on visiting infirmaries." Levana smiled, liking his fresh personality. "Not many people are and they're not the best of places to be so I don't blame you."

Levana found Irvine to be quite pleasant company, despite the occasional flirting on his part. "I better get going, before it gets too late. It was nice to officially meet you Irvine." She smiled apologetically and stood to her feet, after having sat down and conversed with the would-be thief for almost an hour and a half. "Yeah, same here," He responded with a grin and watched as the blonde nurse turned and walked away. When she completely disappeared from his sight he collapsed back onto his cot. That hour and a half had been the highlight of his whole stay at the base. Not only did he get her name, but they had actually had a long friendly conversation and she didn't seem to judge him for breaking into the base despite knowing his intentions. "That girl's something else," He muttered aloud and rolled over to get some sleep, after all that was just about the only thing he could do while stuck in a cell. His escape plans wouldn't work because the Republican soldiers were too ready for an attack so he would just have to bide his time, for now.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I played around with the timeline of the original story line a bit so I could work what I had to into the story and as for O'Connell's actual firstname, well I made it up as I couldn't find it spoken in the anime or on any official websites, so I hope no one is too bothered by my slight changes. In the next chapter Levana will meet Karl for sure and I don't plan for it to take so long to be posted, so look forward to that.


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